Doctor of Physical Therapy

Doctor of Physical Therapy

Program Information

The physical therapy department at Southwest Baptist University is dedicated to providing
society with physical therapists who engage in the art and science of physical therapy
with a Christian worldview. The graduate will be a clinician generalist who is prepared
to provide physical therapy services for a diverse population in an evolving society
and healthcare environment.

Application and Admission

Application to the SBU DPT program is made through the PTCAS centralized application database.

The following requirements must be met before being admitted to the physical therapy
program at SBU (courses in progress during semester(s) applying must be documented
and completed prior to admission):

Completion of a baccalaureate degree

Completion of current PT application

Documented experience/observation in physical therapy; up to 40 hours will be counted
and variety of experience is recommended

Applicants for Fall 2021 or earlier: two courses from a psychology department (1.
general, 2. normal growth and development OR abnormal development)

Completion of the following support courses (not calculated into prerequisite GPA)

Medical Terminology — one semester is required at a "B" grade or higher; one credit
hour minimum expected

Pathophysiology — not required, but highly recommended

Exercise Physiology — not required, but highly recommended; students demonstrating
successful completion of an exercise physiology course with a "B" grade or higher
will be exempt from completing the exercise physiology component of the DPT program

International students need to contact the department or consult the SBU catalog for
additional requirements, including the TOEFL exam

Prerequisite science classes must be current. Completion of each course sequence must
be within seven years prior to admission to the PT program. Exceptions may be granted
only if the applicant can show that knowledge of the course content is current. Applicants
seeking an exception must submit a written petition with rationale for approval.

In the case of repeat prerequisite grades, the department will use the "best case"
scenario for determining eligibility; however, an application penalty would be applied
by reducing the overall score for each repeat grade present on the transcript. The
grade for any science courses repeated due to the seven-year rule will be substituted for
the old class regardless of the first grade received.

Applications not meeting the minimum GPA (either prerequisite or overall or both)
will be scored and ranked for an alternate pool to be considered for conditional enrollment
after all unconditional applications have been exhausted on a space available basis.
Individuals requesting conditional enrollment are encouraged to meet with a physical
therapy advisor and/or graduate admissions coordinator prior to application.

Scholarships and Financial Aid

As an SBU DPT student, you will have opportunity for various scholarship and financial
aid offers. Additionally, you are encouraged to seek out private sources of scholarships
and aid.

Submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to receive any aid for which you may qualify, including the Federal Direct Grad PLUS
Student Loan. SBU's recommended deadline for submitting the FAFSA is March 15. If
you have questions, contact the SBU Office of Financial Aid at (417) 328-1822.

Further Information

alumni magazine

Browse the archives of the annual magazine, "A Healing Mission," sent to alumni of
the SBU Doctor of Physical Therapy program. The magazine provides news and updates
from the program, stories about Global Health Outreach trips, faculty and alumni spotlights,
and more.